What's on the Horizon
by mayuralover
Summary: Marissonshipping. Occurs six years after the events of Pokemon XY&Z. Ch 1 gives a backstory/imagining of what happened after the last episode of the Mega Evolution Special. Alan is still uncertain about what could be in the future. But what awaits Alan on the dawn of a new day? Just another day, or something more?
1. Backstory

Prologue/Backstory:

Some information about this fanfic. I am writing this while the Pokémon XY&Z series is going on and the Mega Evolution Special has already aired its final and fourth episode, so we don't have any information on how Ash/Satoshi and the gang will meet with Alan/Alain and Team Flare/the Flare Gang and what will be going down with Zygarde, or even how the inevitable Complete Form Zygarde will play a role in all of this. So here is my head canon/fan theory to give a little back story for this fan fiction (I'll be using the Japanese names). This also occurs after the first episode of the Pokémon XY&Z series:

Alan is working for Fleur-de-lis thinking that he is aiding in the establishment of a Mega Evolution energy system, not only to help Manon's Harimaron, Hari-san, get better, but to help the world through peaceful means. Little does he know that he is actually working for Team Flare to further advance the making of the Ultimate Weapon and the destruction of the whole world.

Satoshi and gang arrive at Terminus Cave to find Team Flare members sneaking about, trying to catch Zygarde 50% (Z2), and realize what Puni-chan (Eureka's name for the Zygarde Core) really is. After stopping Momiji and Akebi from capturing Z2, Satoshi and gang find out about Team Flare's plan to 'create a beautiful world,' but with no more details on their grand scheme, they continue on their way to challenge the final gym for Satoshi's last badge.

After the Team Flare Scientists Correa and Bara fail to capture the Zygarde Core (Z1) from Satoshi and the gang multiple times, Alan is sent to stop them and take it back to Fleur-de-lis, under the guise that the Core is key in harnessing the power of the megalith. Thinking that Alan is working for Team Flare, they tell Alan of the Team's schemes and refuse to turn over Puni-chan. However, Alan knows nothing about a "Team Flare" and is adamant that the Core is used to find a source of energy in order to heal his friend's Harimaron, and that the director he is working for is working towards a more peaceful future. After escaping from Alan, Satoshi and the gang continue on their way, but a seed of doubt is planted into Alan's head. Confronting Fleur-de-lis about who Team Flare is, Fleur-de-lis reveals that he is head of the team, thus confirming Alan and Satoshi's suspicions that Puni-chan would not be used for good and peace, but for a much more devastating cause; no matter how Fleur-de-lis sugarcoats it, the beautiful world he pictured would only be brought about by the destruction of man and Pokémon.

However, because Harimaron and Manon are being taken care of at Fleur-de-lis Foundation, Fleur-de-lis has leverage over Alan to make him continue in helping bring back the Zygarde Core to the labs. Faced with no choice, but with more information about what he is getting himself into, Alan searches for Satoshi and the gang again.

After Correa and Bara hear that Alan now knows of Team Flare's plans, they plan to get rid of him, in case Alan has a change of heart. After Alan finds Satoshi again, he finds that he needs to trust in the others because they hold a vital key in stopping, or at least hindering, Fleur-de-lis' plans. Correa and Bara attack Alan and the others, thinking to kill two birds with one stone, getting rid of Alan and recapturing the Zygarde Core. Alan brings out Lizardon and mega evolves him, much to the surprise of Satoshi and the gang, however, Correa and Bara have predicted this and use a device that not only prevents stops the mega evolution, but cripples Lizardon horribly. Satoshi and the others try to fend off Correa and Bara's Pokémon, but the Team Flare reinforcements prove too much for the kids. At this moment, Puni-chan summons Zygarde Cells and transforms into Zygarde 10%, unleashing a powerful earthquake. Finding that the newer form of Z to be too powerful, Team Flare retreats. Alan recognizes the green glow of power to be similar to the one that envelopes Manon's Hari-san, and believes that Puni-chan is somehow connected to the comatose Harimaron. After giving them a short version of what has transpired, Satoshi and the gang agree to help Alan try to cure Hari-san, and though it may be dangerous, head to the Fleur-de-lis Foundation.

The party manages to sneak onto the grounds and find their way to the room Hari-san is being treated in. Alan sees Manon inside, staring dejectedly at Hari-san. Feeling sorry, Alan enters the room first, thinking to talk to Manon about what he had said when they previously saw each other. Even though Manon is hurt, she forgives him and is just happy to see him again. Alan then begins to tell Manon that he may have found a way to cure Hari-san. At this, Satoshi and the others come into the room. After introductions, Eureka brings out Puni-chan. Puni-chan recognizes Hari-san as the Harimaron that had helped it escape from the lab, and after making contact with the comatose Harimaron, Hari-san wakes up. Everyone is ecstatic at Hari-san's awakening and even Alan is relieved to have found a cure; no longer trusting Fleur-de-lis, he tells Manon that they need to quickly get out of the Fleur-de-lis Foundation.

However, before they could do so, the director of the foundation himself enters the room and seizes Puni-chan, saying that although Hari-san had woken up, thus making Manon and Hari-san unusable as leverage, Alan was still useful in helping him retrieve Z1, the last piece of the puzzle. The party makes a mad dash to follow Fleur-de-lis and Puni-chan, however, it was too late and Puni-chan had begun to be subjected to the cruel tests and lasers it had previously escaped from. This time, Satoshi, Alan, and the others could do nothing but watch as Puni-chan's powers were used to power the megalith, the ancient weapon used in a war 3000 years ago and would be used again to create a beautiful world. There is little to do except hold on to each other as the Ultimate Weapon charges itself.

This pending disaster leaves no other choice than for Puni-chan to summon all of its cells, transforming into its complete, 100% form. Though Fleur-de-lis had a plan to try to capture this power, it proved too great to contain, and the ancient weapon and lab were destroyed. Still sensing some imbalance, Zygarde set on an uncontrollable rampage. No longer the protector of the Kalos region, it seemed as if it was the combination of destruction and life, containing the powers of both the legendaries Xerneas and Yvetal; seeing the horrible acts of Team Flare may have convinced Zygarde to make the Kalos region or even the world anew. By working together, Satoshi and Alan were able to challenge Zygarde Complete Form's power, but it was Eureka's determination and want to bring Puni-chan back that stopped Zygarde's rampaging and transformation back into the Zygarde Core. Even though the Team Flare was no more, Fleur-de-lis and his scientists were nowhere to be found, though the Kalos Police assured the kids that they would still be searching for those who had escaped. With the ordeal over, Alan and Manon decide to return to Professor Platane's Laboratory in Lumiose City to rest while Satoshi and the others continue on their journey.

However, even with everything resolved, Alan still felt the guilt of having dragged Manon into such a dangerous situation and vowed that even though he may be strong enough to protect those he cares about, being with him was just too dangerous. Thus, Alan decided to leave Manon to set out on a journey across Kalos alone. Professor Platane, along with the Kalos Police, had managed to recover some data from the Fleur-de-lis Foundation on mega stones and mega evolution, and even though he didn't approve of Alan setting off alone without at least saying goodbye to Manon, he understood Alan's conviction and blessed him a safe journey, with the promise that every discover Alan made would be reported back to him.

It has been six years since the day Alan left the Lumiose City Laboratory, and with Alan's help, Professor Platane's breakthrough discoveries on mega evolution have changed the world over the past few years. Today is the first time in six years Alan has returned back to Lumiose, after being persuaded by Professor Platane to come and enjoy the annual summer fair Lumiose holds to celebrate trainers who have entered the Kalos Pokémon League and fought against the Elite Four and the Champion of the Kalos region.

Though anxious at being back in Lumiose, today is just another day for Alan, and even though he feels guilty about the past, he also looks at what could be seen in the future. But even though he has been traveling for six years, Alan is still uncertain about what could be seen past the horizon. What awaits Alan on the dawn of a new day? Just a day at the Lumiose fair, or something more?


	2. Chapter 1-To Meet Again

Note: It's a bit difficult to use _completely_ Japanese names for every person and Pokémon, so I've decided to keep the characters with their Japanese names, and write the English Pokémon species name. Nicknames of Pokémon will be kept in Japanese.

Chapter 1-To Meet Again

Alan sat in one of the chairs in the Lumiose Pokémon Lab, reading from one of the books Professor Platane wrote on Mega Evolution. Though Alan knew all of the contents of every book the professor wrote, it was still fascinating to read something that he had a part in making; Alan would never have been able to articulate his findings, but Prof. Platane wrote it in a simple enough language that even young trainers could understand.

"Alan, do try to relax now, okay?" Professor Platane said to his assistant. "I don't doubt that it's been a long time since you've had a chance to relax and not have to think about the research."

Alan nodded without looking up from the book he was reading. Sighing, Professor Platane walked over to Alan and cleanly plucked the book from his hands. "Alan...today's the day of the annual summer fair! Go out and do something! Take a walk! See the Prism Tower! Eat a Lumiose Galette or visit one of the cafés! Or even battle someone! Today's a day that brings about many talented trainers together, so just take your mind off the research for a day, Alan!" the professor said, exasperated. Though Alan was a hard worker and delved into his work with persistence, Prof. Platane was worried that Alan's past guilt and lack of interaction with others would lead him down a lonely path of solitude.

"Hakase, I'm only back in Lumiose because you insisted I returned. I don't need to relax when there's still so much work to be done. You also tricked me into returning, so I have little reason to listen to you now," Alan said, arms crossed in front of his chest. It had been like this for years, the professor would try to convince Alan to return to Lumiose City, but Alan would find one excuse or another to continue his journey and research in Mega Evolution. This time, however, the professor had tricked Alan into thinking that there was some sort of emergency at the lab, and he rushed back over, only to find that Prof. Platane didn't have any emergency and only wanted to see Alan again.

"Alan, this fair only happens once a year, and I wanted you to come back this year for an especially important reason."

"Oh, what's that?" Alan asked.

"Manon's back."

Alan glared at the professor, then sharply looked again. "So that's why you wanted me to come back to Lumiose. Because Manon's come back. Tell me, is she one of the trainers who took part in the Kalos Pokémon League?"

Prof. Platane looked worriedly at Alan. In recent years, it had been difficult to see what Alan was thinking about; Alan kept himself closed off from others and only really showed his true self to his trusted partner Pokémon, Charizard. However, what that 'true self' was anymore was a mystery. Gone was the happy and expressive Alan who used to be his assistant in the labs, gently holding Pokémon and laughing and playing with them inside the lab's gardens. Now, Alan only seemed to be working in order not to think about the past, the past that included a certain red-haired girl.

"It's more than that, Alan. She was able to defeat the Elite Four. However, she lost to the league champion, Carnet. Manon has come quite a long way since you have last seen her," Prof. Platane explained.

Alan nodded. To think that the clumsy, young trainer who had followed him would be able to beat the Elite Four. He remembered a time when Manon couldn't even catch a Flabebe. Instead, the yellow Pokemon had taunted Manon and Hari-san until he had instructed her on how to weaken the Pokémon before catching it. "Yes, I suppose she has. It has been...six years...

"Hakase, I'll be going now."

"What? You're not just going to leave now, are you?" The Professor asked. Perhaps revealing that information about Manon had the opposite effect than he had intended.

"No, of course not. I wouldn't just leave without telling you. I'll go see the fair, like you said. It's only one day, though, okay?" Alan answered. With a wave, he walked out the door.

 _Or not,_ though Prof. Platane, smiling to himself. _Though I hope that you would be able to see Manon again. Don't run away, Alan. The past is just that. It's time to forgive yourself and move forward._

Outside, the afternoon sun was shining down from the sky. As Prof. Platane had mentioned before, the summer fair was a city-wide event whose epicenter was at Centrico Plaza and stretched on all four streets, plus the street with the canal. Centrico Plaza was the place to be to see battles or challenge a trainer to one; since the summer fair celebrated trainers who participated in the Kalos League, heated battles were sure to be seen at the center of the city; Autumnal Avenue was the location of a farmer's market, where vendors from all over the region would come to sell their produce and homemade goods and crafts; Vernal Avenue had an outdoor bazaar of sorts, where the vendors sold fashionable clothing and accessories; Estival Avenue had game booths and outdoor performers; Hibernal Avenue was the street where the famous restaurant Le Wow was located, and during the once a year event, they opened their doors to everyone, letting them try free samples or even to eat at the restaurant, regardless of their exclusivity rule; last, but not least, the street with the canal had been set up with tables and chairs for people and Pokémon to relax after spending their time at the fair. Each of the plazas had more seating, and even blankets were laid out so families and friends could enjoy a picnic in the joyous atmosphere.

Alan headed to Vernal Avenue first, since it was the closest to the lab. Clothing didn't really interest him, so Alan weaved through the people and Pokémon walking through the street. His plan was to visit Centrico Plaza and watch some trainer battles. A few of them were able to procure mega stones for their Pokémon, and Alan wanted to see how others handled mega evolution; since their breakthrough discoveries, more and more trainers were able to use mega evolution to unlock their Pokémon's potential, but mega evolution still eluded the many who had yet to form an unbreakable bond or those who hadn't trained their hearts and minds enough. Surprisingly, though, none of the trainers who could mega evolve their Pokémon were able to beat the Champion Carnet, and the trainer who was able to make it the farthest into the battle with Carnet before losing was Manon, who couldn't use mega evolution at all.

Alan shook his head. He had been able to keep Manon off his mind for a good part of journey alone. However, some of the littlest things would harken back to their time together, and he would feel the guilt of both dragging her into that dangerous situation _and_ leaving her without saying goodbye. If he thought about her more, it wasn't that hard to imagine the red-haired girl at all. She would have grown in the six years he was away, definitely. Probably around his shoulder; though she was short for her age, it wouldn't be out of the question that she had a growth spurt. Would her hair be longer? Most likely. He swerved a little to avoid a small child running towards him and saw a red head of hair belonging to a girl at a booth on the other side of the street he was at. Like the length of that girl's hair, ending at the middle of her back. What would she be wearing? Maybe the same colors, green and yellow. Also like that girl at the accessories booth. Then again, girls change their styles all the time, so what did he know?

Alan looked at the girl across the street again. Everything Alan was imagining in a grownup Manon seemed to be materializing and appearing on that particular girl, and for a split second, Alan felt a shiver in the summer heat. He was just hallucinating, that's what it was. He couldn't actually be imagining that Manon was right over there-

A Chesnaught appeared from around the booth, holding a hat for his trainer to try on. "This is kind of like that hat I used to have, Hari-san! Let me try it on!" the girl exclaimed. Looking in the mirror, the trainer set the hat on top of her head, and twirled in front of it. Alan caught a glimpse of her face as she spun, and he quickly did a double take. "It's okay, but I think I like me without the hat. I've grown out of it, thanks, but sorry, Hari-san!" She put the hat back on the rack and begin shuffling around the clothes some more.

Alan clenched his hand into a fist; he didn't realize that he was shaking and took his hand in the other to stop it. He didn't think that the professor was lying when he said Manon was back, but he didn't realize that he would run into her, not like this. Alan wasn't ready to face Manon again.

* * *

Thank you everyone for your kind comments, as well as the follows and favorites last chapter! I'm glad you guys like my story so far, so please don't hesitate to let me know if there's any wrong, such as mistakes and such; I don't have a beta, and I tend to write at 1 in the morning ^_^;;

I'd like to thank the following for favoriting and/or following:

Katzugary Kanamy, Writerstar, antheys17, RisingSun95, diminoucrackers , taponkito


	3. Chapter 2-Fateful Encounters

Disclaimer: I may not have written one for the other chapters, but goodness, I don't own Pokémon.

* * *

Chapter 2-Fateful Encounters

Manon put the hat back on the rack and started to rifle through the different accessories on display. A dull glimmer caught her eye, and she removed a heavy, wooden bracelet to see what was behind it: a silver necklace and bangle set. The necklace was a plain silver chain, but what caught Manon's eye was the charm affixed to it, a crystal with the symbol for mega evolution inside. The bangle was a big one, a little too big for Manon to ever wear, and had a clasp that easily hooked and unhooked. A similar crystal with the mega evolution symbol was set into the bangle. Nowadays, jewelers would cater to trainers who didn't have Pokémon that could mega evolve but still wanted to seem like a trainer that was capable of doing so. Enter accessories blazoned with the mega evolution symbol. Scarves, hats, jewelry of all kinds, you name it, most-if not, all- of the boutiques across Kalos stocked them.

Manon wasn't much for excessive jewelry, the only thing she had was her orange and green bracelet, and it was a nostalgic thing her mother gave her when she first left on her journey. But this set seemed to tug at her heart, and she couldn't resist its pull. She reached into her backpack to pull out her wallet when suddenly, Hari-san, who had been watching her look at the jewelry, sharply looked around them.

"What's the matter, Hari-san?" Manon asked. Hari-san kept looking about, sniffing the air, when he seemed to pinpoint what smelled familiar. Seeing something that caught his attention, Hari-san began to pull at Manon's arm, urging her to come with him. "Wait, wait, Hari-san! I have to pay for this! If you see something you like, I'll catch up to you, okay?"

Hari-san nodded, happy to be able to go to whatever had caught his attention. _I wonder what's got Hari-san so worked up_ , Manon thought. _Well, he won't get into that much trouble, so I'll just take my time here._ Manon looked at more jewelry, but decided to only buy the necklace and bangle set.

Manon walked up to the vendor, an older woman, probably in her 30's or so, with dark green hair and eyes hidden behind a pair of stylish white-framed sunglasses. "Why hello there, did you find everything you wanted?" the woman asked.

Manon nodded and said, "You have a lot of pretty jewelry here. It's so hard to pick something out of all of these!"

The woman laughed, replying, "Well, you _can_ choose to buy everything!" Manon looked shocked and vigorously shook her head. "I'm just kidding of course, sweetheart! And that would be the day a Meowth showers me with an infinite supply of coins!" The woman then looked over Manon's purchases. Her laughter subsided as she lowered her sunglasses to get a better look at the necklace and bangle set Manon chose to buy. Manon was confused at why the shopkeeper was giving her this rather strange look, but before she could ask what the matter was, the shopkeeper spoke up again. "Sweetheart, I do say, you have a rather discerning eye for treasure. You picked something like this out of all the other jewelry, jewelry that is far flashier."

Manon played with a piece of her hair and grinned. "Yeah, I suppose so. Though I don't get what you mean by an 'eye for treasure.' The other stuff is nice, sure, but I would much rather have this."

The shopkeeper pushed her sunglasses back up her nose and nodded, accepting the money Manon gave to her. "Anyways, I do hope you will treasure these; they might be important to you on your journey. By the way, would you like to put them on now?"

Manon nodded and took back the jewelry she had bought. She was a little confused about what the shopkeeper mentioned, what did she mean about treasure and how would a little necklace become something important to her? Manon didn't focus too much on it anyways, and after saying good bye and thanking the shopkeeper, she unclasped the necklace and placed it around her neck, tucking it underneath her shirt; the bangle was safely stowed away in her backpack. Now onto the next order of business-where could Hari-san have gone?

* * *

Alan looked up again to see that Hari-san was sniffing the air around him. Puzzled, Alan wondered what the Chesnaught had scented, when suddenly, Hari-san turned to look directly at Alan. _He scented me!_

Alan quickly turned into the side street that connected Vernal Avenue to Bleu Plaza. He was running away, he admit it. But even if the professor told him to forget about the past, he couldn't. After defeating the ten mega evolution using trainers, including the Elite Four member Pachira, he thought that he was then strong enough to be able to protect those he cared about. However, Manon's suffering and crying when Hari-san didn't wake up hurt him; it made him so angry that he wasn't able to protect Manon's smile then, and he blindly followed Fleur-de-lis' instructions that would lead to a disaster Alan could never have foreseen. Even after Hari-san woke up and the firing of the Ultimate Weapon was prevented, what did he do? He left her behind and without saying goodbye.

Alan let out a sigh and decided to try to avoid Manon and Hari-san as best as possible. He entered Bleu Plaza only to be pulled back into the side street. "Who-?!" Alan let out a gasp as a strong arm pulled him backwards. Startled, Alan turned around and was met by the happy grin of a Chesnaught. As luck-or was it something else?- would have it, Alan wasn't able to get away quick enough, and Hari-san had been able to catch him.

"Ches-Chesnaught!" Hari-san said, giving Alan a playful headbutt and a hug; he clearly seemed to remember Alan, even after all these years.

"Hari-san," Alan said, and gave him a pat on his head, "it's nice to see you again. I suppose you still remember me." Hari-san nodded, then took Alan's arm again, trying to lead him back to Vernal Avenue. "Wait, Hari-san, I can't. I really can't see Manon again."

Hari-san gave Alan a puzzled look before trying to pull on Alan again. Alan tried to resist, but realized that a Chesnaught's strength was nothing to be overlooked; even while struggling to get out of Hari-san's grasp, he was being slowly pulled back to Vernal Avenue. _Crap, crap, crap! At this rate, Hari-san will-_

"Hari-san! Where did you go? Where are you?" a voice called out. "Oh, there you are! What's got you so worked up over...here...?" Her voice trailed off as Alan looked up to meet her eyes. Oblivious to the mood, Hari-san happily bounded back to Manon, having accomplished his mission of reuniting his trainer and their friend from long ago.

Alan saw a flicker of something in Manon's eyes. Was it happiness? Worry? Relief? Even sadness? He could see that she hesitated, half way between wanting to run up to him and half way to running away from him. Manon took a hesitant step towards him, not unlike a person trying to come up to a shy Pokémon and trying not to scare it away.

Wait a minute, a scared Pokémon? Alan wasn't going to classify himself as that and was about to open his mouth to speak when Manon said, "Alan." It seemed like she was testing the waters when she said his name again and finally gave me a small grin. "Alan. It's nice to see you again. It's been a long time."

* * *

Thanks for all of the views, you guys! I hope you guys are liking my story so far! Depending on how much I write, I might be able to update once every two or three weeks! This is my first long running and current fic, so I'm not too experience with writing yet (even though I have a lot of Princess Tutu fanfic) and I don't have a lot of chapters stockpiled in the ready. I hope you guys can be patient and understand of me!

I'd like to thank the following people for following, favoriting, and/or reviewing!  
-TheFaithfulStar  
-sweetysupraja777  
-Katzugary Kanamy  
-Writerstar for reviewing!  
-diminoucrackers  
-Pikachu025yoshi

See you again soon!


	4. Chapter 3-How Trainers Greet Each Other

Chapter 3-How Trainers Greet Each Other

"Alan. It's nice to see you again. It's been a long time," Manon said. She nervously wrung her hands in an attempt to stop herself from running over to Alan and flinging her arms around him. It had been six years since she had last seen Alan, and she never expected to see him again. Manon had long since given up hope of meeting Alan again after trying dozens of times over the years to contact him, to no avail. Now, she tried to settle her stomach and her beating heart. Next to her, Hari-san was swaying back and forth, finally getting a sense that this reunion was not the happy, little reunion he had pictured when he spotted Alan just a few minutes ago.

Alan nodded. After coughing to clear his throat, he said, "Yeah, it's been a while, Manon." Manon cocked her head to the side; it seemed like Alan was also a bit nervous-she couldn't understand why-and he didn't seem to be like the cool and level headed person she once knew. But it was nice to hear Alan say her name again.

She spoke up again, saying, "So, uh, Alan, it's been a long time, you know? And maybe... do you want to catch up? Hari-san and I were just about to go to a cafe, so maybe you'd like to join us? Or we can go somewhere else if you want to! It doesn't have to be a cafe, we can find a table or something... Oh! But if you're busy, that's okay, too! I didn't even think about that, and I could just be wasting your time and-"

"Whoa, slow down, Manon!" Alan said. He gave a chuckle and replied, "You haven't changed a bit, I see."

Manon blushed and clamped a hand over her mouth. _He laughed! But oh no, I was running my mouth again! What will he think of me?!_

Alan nodded and looked around the plaza, saying, "Sure. I haven't been to any of these cafes, though, so you'll have to choose one for the both of us." He looked back at her and asked, "You wanted to catch up, right?"

"Oh, yes! I do!" Manon was happy that Alan had accepted her invitation, and she eagerly led him to a cafe in Rouge Plaza. They chose to sit at one of the outdoor tables, in view of a female performer and her troupe of Patrat performing tricks and entertaining the crowd that had gathered around her. After their orders had arrived, just coffee for Alan and lemonade for herself, Manon could feel the uncomfortable silence, the air filled with unasked and unanswered questions. Manon started first. "Hey, Alan. Um... it's been awhile, so do you think I can see Charizard again?" She looked down into her lap, hands playing with the hem of her skirt.

"Charizard? Oh, yeah, sure." Alan took the Pokeball at his waist and after a flash of red, Charizard was standing beside him. Charizard looked around, wondering what Alan had wanted from him. Alan motioned with his head, and Charizard turned to see a familiar red-haired girl seated across from his trainer.

"Charizard!" Manon called out, leaping from her seat and wrapping him in a hug. "It's been such a long time, I missed you!" Charizard was caught off guard at seeing Manon. She was no longer the small girl with a Chespin, but now a taller girl with a Chesnaught. Alan's eyebrow twitched when Manon showed how happy she was to see Charizard again. _Surely I'm not jealous of Charizard_ , Alan thought. He swallowed some coffee and pushed that thought away.

Charizard called out happily, "Char-Charizard, Charizard!" Chesnaught was much more relieved at this happier reunion. Leaving Charizard and Hari-san to wander around, Manon returned to her seat and sipped on her lemonade. "Charizard remembers me," Manon said, "I'm glad."

"Well, it's hard to forget someone like you," Alan replied.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Manon asked, giving Alan a pouting face. She laughed then; she knew he was kidding. It seemed like they were finally able to relax a little bit. "So, how have you been? I heard from Hakase that you were traveling around Kalos, doing research on mega evolution, right?" She lazily traced a finger over the pattern on the table.

Alan nodded and replied, "Yeah, a lot of the professor's findings and writings were based on what I found out about mega evolution. Talking to a lot of people and gaining their knowledge and insight on the phenomenon helped a great deal in Hakase's research."

"Wow!" Manon exclaimed. "So you're really the one behind all the great discoveries, Alan!"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that," Alan said, waving his hand dismissively.

Manon looked directly at Alan and said, "Don't be so humble about this! Without you, we wouldn't know as much about mega evolution as we do now!" Manon gave him a big grin, and Alan nervously glanced away.

"So how have you been? I can see that Hari-san isn't a Chespin anymore; you two must have trained a lot." He looked over to see that Hari-san and Charizard were part of the crowd watching the woman and her Patrat perform.

"Oh yeah, we were on our own journey, to train and collect gym badges after you...um...after everything went back to normal..." Manon turned away from Alan to look at their two Pokémon as well. Alan had to strain to hear her next words, which came out as a whisper, more to herself than to him. "We've gotten stronger, too."

An unsettling silence fell upon them again, and Alan tried to steer their conversation away from the distant past. "You participated in the Kalos league, right? Hakase told me you were in the finals, but you couldn't beat the Champion."

Surprised, Manon asked, "Hakase told you that about me?" After Alan nodded, she went on. "Yeah, I participated in the most recent League, just a month or so ago. It was really difficult, and somehow I was the trainer who was able to go the farthest against Carnet. I guess I was lucky." She gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of her head. "I'm not as clumsy a trainer as I used to be, huh?"

"No, you've certainly gotten stronger," Alan said, confirming that he had heard what Manon had whispered. "Let's test you, shall we?"

Manon's eyes widened. "Do you mean...?"

Alan looked up from his drink and said, "When two trainers' eyes meet..."

"It's a challenge for a battle. I accept, Alan!" After calling Chesnaught and Charizard back to their Pokeballs, they decided to head to Centrico Plaza where there were five battlefields set up at the intersection of each of the five streets. Much to their luck, they didn't have to walk very far, because there was an open arena at the end of Hibernal Avenue.

All over Centrico Plaza, battles were taking place and crowds of people gathered to see the trainers battle it out. To their left, a heated battle between a trainer that participated in the Kalos league and another trainer was happening. Manon recognized the League trainer as Ricky, the confident trainer she had travelled with for a period of time after getting her sixth gym badge. Later, they fought in the finals of the league before moving on to face the Elite Four. He was fighting with his trusted Aggron, and taking on any challengers who wanted to fight against him. It was great to see that many of the other League trainers participated in the festival to show off their skills in battling, even if they didn't become champion. After greeting Ricky, who greeted Manon with a smile and a warm hug, Alan and Manon went to claim the empty arena to start their battle.

Alan and Manon stepped onto the battlefield and situated themselves at opposite ends. "You have a full team of six Pokémon, I assume? Well, I still only have Charizard, so to make it more even, I'll let you choose any three Pokémon to battle against my Charizard," Alan said.

"What?! I'm a good trainer in my own right, you wouldn't want a one on one?" Manon shouted.

Alan gave Manon a skeptical look and replied, "I don't doubt that you've become a formidable trainer. I was just thinking about the years of experience I have ahead of you. So you won't take that handicap?"

Manon gritted her teeth and furrowed her brows in thought. She knew she would be biting off more than she could chew in a one on one battle with Alan's Mega Charizard X, so she decided to accept his offer. "Fine, I'll take it, but I'll still show you want I'm made of! Hari-san, let's go!" Manon threw Hari-san's Pokeball into the air and out appeared Hari-san, pumped up and ready to battle.

"Good that you chose to accept my offer, but starting with a Pokémon weak against Charizard? It's your choice; Charizard, let's battle!" The two Pokémon faced off against each other and with a call from Alan, Charizard took to the skies. "Let's start with a Flamethrower, Charizard!"

"Hari-san, dodge it and launch some Seed Bombs at Charizard! You're not going to mega evolve Charizard, Alan?" Manon asked. Hari-san was surprisingly quick on his feet and dodged the flames shot at him, then launched his Seed Bombs up into the air. Charizard flew around some of them, but the few that weren't destroyed exploded in mid-air. Charizard was knocked back and landed, awaiting Alan's next orders.

"A trainer doesn't always have to mega evolve at the start of battle, Manon. Charizard, next is Steel Wing!" Charizard took off at high speed, his wings hardening to the likes of steel.

"Steady, Hari-san...wait for him to come. Now! Use Spiky Shield!" Hari-san bent over and right when Charizard was at him, the spikes on his shell grew, clanging with Charizard's steel wings. "Now Charizard is a little bit weakened. Hammer Arm, Hari-san!"

"Not yet, he isn't! You wanted to see Charizard mega evolve?" Alan lifted up his left arm, placing two fingers on the keystone set into his mega bangle. "Respond to my heart, key stone! Surpass evolution, mega evolve!" The lights coming from the keystone and Charizard's mega stone caught a lot of people's attention, drawing them to watch Manon and Alan's battle. After the lights subsided, Charizard unfurled his black and blue wings, revealing his mega evolved form.

A little boy called out from the crowd, "Look, mama! That Charizard is black and blue!"

"Yes it is, hon, but please, don't get too close to the battle!" His mother said.

"Now, Charizard, use Dragon Claw!" Charizard's claws glowed a bright green, and the two Pokémon rushed at each other, their arms drawn back to deliver a devastating hit. Their two fists clashed, sending a burst of energy into the air. Manon covered her face with her arms, and braced herself.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! Show me 100% and I'll do the same!" Manon cried. She punched her fist into the air, yelling, "Hari-san, show him your Giga Impact!" Hari-san set his body into a defensive position, an orange energy covering its body. After a moment, Hari-san began to run full speed at Charizard, purple energy streaking from him. Hari-san slammed into Charizard, knocking him clear off his feet. Slowly, Charizard rose from the ground, battered, but still able to fight.

"Are you okay, Charizard?" Alan asked, a look of concern on his face. He was surprised because Hari-san was much stronger than he had anticipated, but the battle wasn't over yet. Charizard nodded, and Alan said, "Okay then, use Steel Wing while he recharges!" Charizard's wings grew again and he flew at Hari-san, who was still recharging after using Giga Impact.

"Oh no! Hari-san, dodge it, please!" Manon cried, but it was too late. With his powerful wings, Charizard knocked out Hari-san. Manon ran to her Pokémon and knelt down beside him. "You did great, Hari-san, I couldn't have asked for more from you." After recalling Hari-san, she stood up with her second Pokeball. "We shouldn't have underestimate each other, huh, Alan? I think you'll recognize my next Pokémon. Come on out, Fla-chan!" In a swirl of petals, a Florges emerged from the Pokeball.

Alan looked closely at the Florges and noticed its yellow coloring. "This Florges evolved from the Flabebe I helped you catch, right? You've raised it well, Manon. But enough of these compliments. Charizard, Flamethrower!"

"Fla-chan, dodge out the way, then follow up with Magical Leaf!" Manon cried. Following Manon's orders, Florges quickly moved out away, then let out a barrage of rainbow colored leaves. Charizard flew high above the battlefield, trying to dodge the leaves, but was hit anyways. "Even though it may not be very effective, Magical Leaf will never miss, and Charizard has already been weakened by Hari-san! Use Magical Leaf again, Fla-chan!"

"Burn those leaves with Flamethrower!" Alan said. Charizard let out a roar and a hot flames spewed from his mouth, turning the leaves into ash.

By this time, a large group of people had come by to watch their fight, mainly little kids fascinated with the idea of mega evolution and their parents in tow. One such kid was the boy who had previously called out in awe at Alan's Mega Charizard X. The little boy's attention was drawn away from the current battle, though, when he heard Ricky in the battlefield over call out, "Aggron, let's strengthen our bond, mega evolve!" Excited to see more mega evolutions, the boy ran over to that battlefield, unbeknownst to his mother. Manon, however, saw him run past her in the corner of her eye, and for a split second, didn't pay attention to what was going on between Fla-chan and Charizard. In the instant Manon wasn't paying attention, Alan had used that opportunity to gain the upper hand, knocking out Manon's Florges with a powerful Steel Wing.

"Manon," Alan called out, "You seem distracted. Are you getting tired? "

Manon shook her head, but she still couldn't get the kid out of her head, especially since he ran off without telling his mother. She recalled Fla-chan into its Pokeball and reached for her final Pokémon, ready to settle the score with Alan when suddenly, a violent quake shook the ground. Behind her, Ricky's mega evolved Aggron had used Earthquake, and its effect could be felt by everyone in Centrico Plaza. Startled, everyone around turned to look at what had happened. Immediately after the Earthquake, Aggron used Rock Slide, and was hurtling rocks towards its opponent, a Yanmega. However, the Yanmega was too quick and easily dodged the incoming rocks. Someone who wasn't going to be able to dodge them as easily was the small boy Manon had seen before, who stood too close to the battlefield.

The mother, noticing that her child was standing there and was going to be crushed by the wayward rocks, let out a scream. "No!"

* * *

Thank you everyone for reading this chapter! I know it's been awhile, so thank you all for the encouragement! By the way, the anime Pokémon XY&Z is becoming quite exciting, have any of you seen the new trailer for this upcoming year? I spy with my little eye our favorite protagonist~ Though I wonder how it will all play out…

I would like to thank the following people for the recent favorite and alert:

-DragonFG  
-Kalareon


	5. Chapter 4-Safe

Chapter 4-Safe

Without a second thought, Manon ran towards the boy, reaching out to grab him. Pulling him into her arms, Manon dove to the side, narrowly missing being crushed by the Rock Slide. A shudder passed through Alan's body then and time seemed to stop for him.

"Manon!" he cried.

Everything happened so fast, one moment, he was waiting for Manon to throw her last Pokeball; the next, she was diving in front of rocks to save a young boy. Pushing his way through the crowd, he looked for Manon and the boy. The dust cleared and laying a few feet away was Manon, still holding onto the boy. His mother had also pushed through the crowd and was now kneeling beside the two, trying to shake the both of them awake.

"Timmy, Timmy, are you alright? Miss, Miss!" the mother called. Alan stepped closer, a look of dread and worry on his face. If Manon didn't get up, what would he do? The boy opened his eyes, confused at why all these people were looking at him when he remembered what had just happened. His mother gave him a big hug and checked her son. "Timmy, I'm so glad you're okay. What did I tell you about staying close to me?! If this young lady hadn't saved you I don't know what I would have done!"

The boy turned around to Manon, who still lay on the ground, poking her shoulder and asking, "Miss, are you okay?! You saved me, Miss!" The crowd let out a collective sigh of relief as Manon took a breath and moved her arms. Alan closed his eyes for a second, relief emanating off him. _She's okay, Manon's okay._

Sitting up, Manon looked at the boy she had just saved. "Thank goodness you're okay, you're not hurt or anything are you?"

"No," the boy said, shaking his head, "I'm not! It's because you saved me! Thank you!" The boy threw his arms around Manon, and she returned his hug.

"You can thank me by listening to your mom from now on, okay? It's cool to watch trainers battle, but it's also very dangerous if you aren't careful!" Manon said. She ruffled the boy's hair. "Promise me?"

"I promise!"

"Good."

After seeing that a mishap had been averted, the crowd began to disperse, knowing that any battles that day would be concluded. Alan made his way towards Manon then and was about to call out to her when another voice cried out, "Manon, you okay?"

Alan and Manon turned their heads to see that Ricky was the one who called out to Manon. "Manon! I'm really sorry about that! I got you caught up in my mess again, huh? Thank goodness you were able to save that kid in time." He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, giving out a relieved sigh. "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there."

"Ricky." Manon said, giving him a smile. Alan looked at the blonde teenager critically. It seemed like the two of them had some sort of history. "Let's not think about the bad that would have happened. I made it in time, and that's all that matters. Ah!" Manon turned to see that Alan was only a few feet away, watching the exchange. "Sorry I left you there, Alan. Oh wait, I suppose I should introduce you two. Alan, this is Ricky, a friend of mine I met on my journey. And Ricky, this is Alan, Prof. Platane's assistant in all things mega evolution."

"I see. You're the Alan that Manon used to talk about." Ricky stuck out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Ricky. Manon's talked about me?" Alan reciprocated the handshake and gave Manon a questioning look.

Realizing what she had said, Manon was quick to put up her hands and reply, "I did, but not a lot! Not really!"

"Oh really, it didn't seem like a little bit-"

"Ricky!" Manon hissed.

Intrigued, Ricky raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh, is it supposed to be a secret? Hm?"

"I mean, uh..." Manon trailed off, looking back and forth from Alan to Ricky.

Ricky cracked a smile and said, "Oh, I'm just pulling your leg, Manon. Here's let's get you off the ground and actually talk at eye level. Or maybe a little lower, because you're short." He offered his hands out to Manon, and she took them.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm shorter than the both of you, okay? I just-ow, ow, wait!" Manon yelped. Ricky had pulled her up, but Manon felt a sharp sting on her right knee when she leapt to her feet. She leaned on Ricky to alleviate the pain and looked down to inspect her knee. Alan stared at how closely and gently Ricky held onto Manon, but tore his gaze away to inspect Manon's knee. Her stocking was torn and her knee was badly scraped when she dove to save the young boy, and now her wound was bleeding.

"Manon, we need to get you to the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy will clean and bind your wound," Ricky said. Ricky placed Manon's right arm over his shoulder and placed his left hand on her hip, supporting her.

"Ah, yeah, you're right..."

"Wait a second," Alan said, "I'll take Manon from here."

"Eh?" Manon said, blushing.

Ricky gave Alan a sharp look and said, "It's no problem, I got Manon into this mess, I'll just take her to the Pokémon Center. You can leave now." A hint of arrogance laced his words, and Alan's eye twitched.

"No, I'll take Manon from here. We were going to go to Prof. Platane's lab after our battle anyways. I'll take Manon there," Alan said, keeping a steady gaze on Ricky.

Oblivious to the exchange of words happening in front of her, Manon nervously asked, "We were going to Hakase's lab? I guess that makes sense, after all, since I was planning on seeing him anyways. Ricky, I'll just go to the Lab. Thank you for offering to take me to the Pokémon Center, though." She let go of Ricky, and reluctantly, Ricky did the same.

"If you insist, Manon." Ricky sent Alan a glare before asking her, "Let's meet again sometime, okay? It's been a while since I've seen you. I missed traveling with you." Alan furrowed his eyebrows, taken aback at that statement. Satisfied at Alan's reaction, even if it was somewhat subdued, Ricky added, "I have your number on my Holo Caster, so I'll call you, okay?"

"Oh, Ricky, it's only been a few weeks since we last saw each other at the Pokémon League. But sure, let's hang out sometime!" Waving farewell, Alan and Manon watched Ricky walk away. Alan had quite a few questions he wanted answers to, but seeing Manon trying to balance on one leg, he realized that he really did have to get Manon to the Lab quickly.

Turning around, Alan hunched over and motioned for Manon to piggy back on him. "Come on, let's get you fixed up, Manon." Surprised, Manon started to argue with Alan when he let out an exasperate sigh. "If you don't climb onto my back, I'll just have to carry you, then."

"Fine, I'll get onto your back!" Manon yelped. Slowly, she climbed onto Alan's back, placing her hands gingerly on his shoulders.

"You'll fall off if you don't hold tight..."

"Eep!" Manon cried, blushing as she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. After getting used to the pace, Manon settled her head onto one of his shoulders, feeling suddenly exhausted at the eventful day she just had. Today, she met Alan for the first time in six years, had a battle with him, and saved a boy. _I'll be glad to finally be able to rest. Today has been really exciting,_ Manon thought.

Alan felt his face turning red when Manon rested her head onto his shoulder, and smiled when he noticed that Manon had fallen asleep. He shifted her higher onto his back and continued to walk back to the Lab. _I thought today was going to be just like any other day_ , Alan thought. _But it wasn't. It was so much more._ The late afternoon sun shined behind them, casting long shadows in front of Alan. The silhouette of a girl on a boy's back playfully appeared and disappeared in front of Alan as the two of them passed under trees and cafe eaves. _I'm glad Manon was able to save that boy; she certainly hasn't changed in that respect, being scared, but diving headlong into things anyways. But who was that Ricky kid? He and Manon had traveled with each other before? Does that mean anything?_ He lightly shook his head and gave a chuckle when he heard Manon mumble, "Hari-san, don't eat that."

 _I'm just glad she's safe. I'm just glad that she's safe._

* * *

Thank you again for all of your kind words, reviews, favorites, and follows! Sorry it's been awhile, school has started once again, so wish me luck and to all of you in school and work as well, may your path in towards the future be bright! I'd like to thank the following people for favoriting and following as well as the reviews that keep me going!

-RisingSun95  
-Sapphirestream  
-Zchester  
-thegirlwholived91  
-Writerstar  
-diminoucrackers


	6. Chapter 5-Catch Up

Chapter 5-Catch Up

Nearing Prof. Platane's Lab, Alan moved his head a bit, trying to wake Manon up. "Manon. Wake up, Manon, we're here," Alan said.

Manon woke up, drowsily rubbing at her eyes. "Oh, we really are here. That was quick, Alan!" Manon exclaimed. They passed through the doors of the lab and were greeted by Sophie.

"Welcome back, Alan. Did you enjoy the fair?" Sophie asked. Noticing Manon on Alan's back for the first time, she sharply took a breath. "Manon, what happened to you?"

"Hello, Sophie! I just got a little hurt! Don't look at me like that! I wasn't being clumsy! I actually saved a boy from a Pokémon's Rock Slide at Centrico Plaza!" Manon exclaimed.

"Did you now? Well, that was very brave of you, Manon, but we need to take care of your knee. Here, Alan. I'll take her from here, and you can tell the professor that you're back," Sophie said. Manon climbed down from Alan's back and was lead into another room to clean up her knee and treat it. "He's in the garden with Cosette."

"Thanks," Alan replied. Alan walked to the back of the lab, where two doors opened to fresh air and greenery. At the sound of the opening doors, Cosette turned around and greeted Alan.

Putting down the Golduck she was observing, Cosette said, "I heard you went to the fair. Was it fun? I wish I could take a break and go over there!"

"It was...interesting, to say the least. Sophie told me that Hakase was here?" Alan asked.

"Yes, he's around the fountain. Gosh, it's all business with you, isn't it?" Cosette huffed. She picked up her clipboard and walked towards the door.

"Well, you're going to find out sooner than later, so I'll just tell you now. I met Manon while I was out there, and right now, Sophie is taking her of her knee, since Manon got into an accident. She'll tell you about it, I'm sure." Alan waved his hand and started to walk away.

"What? Manon's here? Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I have to see how she's doing!" Cosette exclaimed, before taking off down the hallway. Alan sighed and began to look for the professor, wondering if he was taking notes and observing Pokémon in the garden like Cosette was.

Alan spotted the professor sitting on the large fountain in the center of the garden, with his Garchomp beside him. They were both looking in the fountain, presumably at the water type Pokémon that lived there. "Now then, Garchomp, shall we head back inside? I heard Cosette talking to someone. Ah, speaking of someone. Alan, it seems like you're back from the fair. Honestly, you stayed out later than I thought you would. Does that mean something happened?" Prof. Platane asked.

Alan nodded. "Yes, actually. I suppose you'd be glad to hear about it; I ran into Manon while I was out there. We were actually battling when something happened," Alan explained, leading the professor back to where Manon, Sophie, and Cosette were. Manon and Cosette were happily chatting to each other, while Sophie listened quietly and nodded along. Manon perked up at the sight of Alan and the professor entering.

"Listen, listen, Hakase! You wouldn't believe what happened to Manon today!" Cosette said.

After recounting the events of the day, Prof. Platane said, "My my, seems like you two have had an eventful day. I'm glad that you are alright, Manon-kun, and it's nice to see you again." The professor patted Manon's head then said, "It's about time for dinner how about we go out to a restaurant and catch up? My treat!"

"Wow! If it's really okay with you, Hakase!" Manon exclaimed. "Let me change real quickly, though. I got a little dirty from saving that boy." Manon grabbed her backpack and left to change in the restroom. Sophie and Cosette decided to stay at the lab to watch over it, bidding the professor and Alan good bye and to have a nice dinner.

"I think I'll just skip, Hakase; you and Manon should catch up. We went to a café earlier and…" Alan trailed off when the professor gave him a stern look.

"Alan, you've only just met up with Manon again today-for the first time in six years! Don't keep trying to avoid her, Alan," Prof. Platane said. He crossed his arms and said, "She seems really excited to see you again, at least talk to her some more."

"I did talk with her today, Hakase. We caught up at the café and had a battle. Somewhat," Alan said. "Do I need to do anymore for you?"

"Alan, don't give me that. You aren't doing anything for me, you're doing something for Manon and yourself. You've been holding onto these feelings and regrets for six years, so don't try to hide them. I want you to be honest with yourself, Alan. What do you want to do? Are you just going to keep avoiding her? You've met her once, so is it just one and done?" Prof. Platane asked.

"I'm not avoiding-okay, Hakase; you're right. So I am avoiding her," Alan admitted, letting out a sigh. "But feelings? Regret?" Alan ran his hand through his hair and looked at the walls around him. "But what good will it do to keep sticking with her? You can see that she's fine by herself, she has been more six years."

Prof. Platane sighed. "Are you trying to make excuses again, Alan? Look, I'm not trying to convince you to travel with her or anything. I'm not saying it should go back to how it was six years ago. I just want the two of you to sort things out and be able to speak to each other again. Did you know that when you left, she asked for you all the time? She wanted to know how she could get in touch with you; she wanted to talk to you."

Startled, Alan focused on the professor again. "She did?" he asked.

"Of course she did! You think you can just cut off someone like Manon and not have her in your life anymore?" Prof. Platane exclaimed. "But over time, she called me less and less, and I thought she forgot all about you, or chose to move on. But recently, she called me again, several weeks ago, before the Kalos League took place, to let me know that she was participating and to root for her."

"I see," said Alan, nodded. "For now, I'll go with you guys, then."

Prof. Platane nodded, just as Manon came out of the restroom wearing clean clothes. "Done! Where are we going to go, Hakase?" Manon asked.

"Well, Manon-kun, I was thinking that we would celebrate your terrific battles in the Kalos League and go to Restaurant Le Wow. It's only once a year that their doors open to everyone, so let's take advantage of that!" Prof. Platane said.

"Oh wow!" Manon exclaimed. "And that wasn't a pun! Then let's get a move on!"

The three took a cab to the restaurant and surprisingly, even with the rush of the summer fair, the three of them were able to find a table within the restaurant. Once they ordered, an uncomfortable silence filled the air. Alan had his arms crossed over his chest and stared down at the table, while Manon fiddled with her bracelet and looked nervously around the restaurant, trying to think of something to talk about. In the meantime, Prof. Platane was looking at the both of them, dumbstruck that they were this nervous to be around each other.

"Ah, so… this restaurant is really nice, isn't it? I like how they decorated it to be extra festive during this time. I've never been in here before, so it's my first time; I bet the food is really good, too!" Manon chattered.

"It really is nice in here, Manon-kun," replied the professor. "I've only been in here a handful of times, but never during the summer fair, so it's nice to see how different it could be, especially with the different people in here and not just those who have exclusive access.

"So what have you been up to? You've only recently contacted me again, Manon," asked the professor. "We know about the Kalos League, how about your journey? You used to update me all of the time."

"Well," Manon said, "I wanted to explore all of Kalos. So I stayed in many of the cities. A few months here, a few months there, and trained to battle the gym leaders as well. I figured that if I was going to have Pokémon during my journey, I would strive for something greater. And league Champion didn't sound like such a bad idea.

"I've also met many new people. Alan, the trainer that you met today, Ricky, was someone I met almost two years ago, in Anistar City. He's the one to encourage me to keep going for gym badges and striving for the Kalos League; back then, I was sort of down in the dumps and frustrated because I couldn't beat Gojika. And even then, I had to challenge Gojika many times before I was able to defeat her. So for that past two years up until a few weeks ago, Ricky and I have been traveling together."

Alan's eyes widened after hearing Manon explain her relationship with the blonde trainer from before. So those two did have history, and they knew each other pretty well. He didn't show it on his face, but Alan felt just a little bit jealous at how long that boy had been traveling with Manon. But he didn't have the right to complain, he left Manon because of his own choice, and she was free to do what she wanted and go on a journey with whomever she wanted.

Prof. Platane smiled a knowing smile. "Ah, I see. So you did have a traveling companion. Did you admire him? Or he you? To travel for so long, you two must have a strong connection."

Manon's face was flush red, and she sputtered out, "Oh, no! It's really nothing like that! We just met, and after realizing we had the same goal, we decided to travel with each other! It's really nothing more than that!" She waved her hands in front of her in defense, almost knocking over the plate that their waiter was carrying. "Oh! Food's here! Um, let's eat! Itadakimasu!"

Alan was still a little off put by Manon's reply and her blushing face seemed to hide the truth about herself and Ricky. However, he kept silent and didn't pursue it any further; it wasn't his business, so he wasn't going to pry anymore. The three began to eat and nonchalantly talked about random things while they ate. Manon and Alan described some of the places they had been to, and Prof. Platane talked about the research he continued to do on mega evolution.

"Say, Manon-kun," said the professor. "Have you ever been interested in mega evolution? I wanted to ask, even though you are plenty strong without the use of mega evolution; you were able to go the furthest against the current league Champion Carnet!"

Manon rubbed her hands, embarrassed, and replied, "Oh, that's not really anything; anyone could have fought Carnet like me. But it's not like I've been looking for a key stone and mega stones, and I never really thought about mega evolution. It's still really interesting, though, and I would love to be able to bond with one of my Pokémon and mega evolve them, just like Alan and Charizard."

"How about I evaluate your Pokémon team when we get back to the lab? I want to see the bond between you and your Pokémon," Prof. Platane suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea, Hakase!" Manon exclaimed. After finishing their dinner, the professor paid for their food and they took a cab back to the lab. However, it was late and the professor decided that tomorrow would be better for him to look over Manon's team.

"Darn, and I was so excited, too! It'll be something to look forward to, though," Manon said.

"Manon, do you have a place to stay while you are in Lumiose? It seems as if you've only just arrived before having such an eventful day, right?" Prof. Platane asked.

"Actually, I was going to ask you if you had some room at the lab, hehe."

"Of course I have room here; you're always welcome to stay here whenever you are in Lumiose. Alan," the professor said, turning to talk to him, "Can you please take her to the room across from yours? It's empty, so she'll be able to sleep there."

"Of course. Come on, the rooms are on the second floor," Alan said, turning to climb up the stairs. They climbed the stairs and Alan silently led her to the empty room across from his. "The bathroom is just down the hall. If you need anything, I'll be in my room."

Before Alan turned to head into his room, Manon called out to him, "Wait. Alan."

"Yeah?"

"I just, well, I wanted to say 'thanks.' For today. I'm really happy I got to see you again. And thanks for the battle, even though we didn't exactly finish it. We should battle again, soon, Alan!" Manon said, giving Alan a wide grin.

"Oh, um, yeah. It's nice to see you again…Manon. Let's battle again. Maybe even after you've learned to mega evolve one of your Pokémon," Alan said, trying to avoid eye contact, but Manon's smile pulled him to look into her eyes.

"That's a promise then, okay?" Manon held out her right pinky. "Pinky swear!"

Alan gave a small half smile and sighed. "Fine, pinky swear." The two linked their pinkies together to seal the promise. Perhaps little by little, he would be able to comfortably smile at Manon again. But for now, he could do this much.

"Well, good night Alan!'

"Good night, Manon."

Manon happily skipped into her room, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. She hadn't felt this happy in a while, and Manon wanted to cherish this moment. Being able to meet Alan again gave her renewed energy, and she left like he couldn't sleep because she was excited for the next day to come. After changing into sleeping clothes, however, once her head hit the pillow, Manon fell easily into the land of dreams. Tomorrow was going to be a new day, and even asleep, she couldn't quell the happiness she felt at the thought of seeing Alan again. They had a lot of catching up to do.

* * *

Thanks so much for your patience! I'm sorry that I couldn't get this chapter out sooner; school has been so hectic, with projects and homework due each week. Someone please save me, why did I become a math major, again? I'd like to thank the following for favoriting and/or following. Remember, if you drop a review, I always answer back!

TheAlphaofDarkness

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Stupidity at its Limit


	7. Chapter 6-Coincidence

Chapter 6-Coincindence

Manon woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. She also woke up late. "Ten o'clock?! I can't believe I slept for so long! The professor is going to look at my team today, what will he think of me for being late?!" Trying to disentangle the sheets from her legs, Manon fell off her bed with a loud thump. "Oof."

From one floor below, the professor and Alan were drinking their coffee and perusing the newspapers when they heard some bumping and noises coming from upstairs. "Seems like Manon has finally woken up. I wonder if she usually makes this much noise in the mornings," the professor said.

"I'll go check up on her. You said you would look over her team, right?" Alan volunteered.

"Yes, that would be a great help. Tell her to come meet me up in the main lab on the third floor when she is done," Prof. Platane replied.

Alan nodded and headed upstairs. He knocked on Manon's door and called out, "It's me, Alan. Are you all right in there?" Alan heard some more stumbling before the door opened up a crack to reveal the bumbling, red-headed girl.

"Alan! I seemed to have woken up late. You don't think the professor will be mad at me, do you?" Manon asked. She moved away from the door to let Alan in. He noticed that she was still in her sleep clothes, so he drew his attention away from the Manon, who was gathering clothes and toiletries to take to the bathroom.

Alan shook his head and said, "No, I don't think so. In fact, I think he expected you to sleep in a bit. You did have quite the day yesterday. Though, falling off the bed was a little unexpected."

"How did you know I fell off my bed? Did you become a mind reader, Alan?!" Manon asked, a shocked look on her face. Alan raised an eyebrow and pointed to the blanket that was still left haphazardly on the floor. "Oh."

"Anyways, I came up here to tell you that when you're done getting ready, Hakase wants you to go to the main lab-his office-on the third floor," Alan said.

"Will you be there, too, Alan?" Manon asked, expectantly. Upon meeting her eyes, Alan's face felt flushed and he couldn't look away from the wide-eyed expression she was looking giving him, so he just nodded his head.

"I don't have much to do anyways, and I haven't seen your whole team." With a wave, he quickly exited her room and made his way upstairs to wait with the professor. Alan put a hand up to his face, wondering if Manon noticed his obviously heated face. Ten minutes later, Manon came running up the stairs, an excited expression on her face. At this, Alan gave a small grin, but quickly put on a neutral expression when the professor glanced in his direction.

"Okay then Manon, send out your Pokémon and we'll have a look at them. I want to see the team that has brought you far on your journey; those that you've no doubt made many memories with," said Prof. Platane.

"Of course!" Manon said with a nod, "Come on out everyone!" After throwing her Pokeballs in the air and the flashes of red light dissipated, Manon's team was assembled around her. Hari-san the Chesnaught was delighted to see the professor and Alan again, and gave Alan a headbutt and hug. Fla-chan the Florges came out of her Pokeball again in a flurry of petals, while Bibi, the Continental-patterned Vivillon chose to settle herself on Manon's shoulder. Next came Mizudeppou the Clawitzer, who took a defensive position by Manon's feet. Suzu the Fearow let out a cry and stretched out his wings, careful not to bump into anything in the lab, and stood at Manon's side. Last was Merrie the Ampharos, whose tail flashed once and nuzzled her cheek against Manon's, happy to be called by her trainer. Manon lovingly introduced each of her Pokémon to the professor and Alan.

Alan nodded at Manon's nicely balanced team, though it did seem to have a weakness to Ice and Electric-types. Ignoring the trainer side of him for a bit, he could see how happy each and every one of Manon's Pokémon were and how much they cared for their trainer and each other. It was glaringly apparent to anyone who looked that the bond between Manon and her Pokémon was strong; they had complete trust in each other. When Prof. Platane told Manon that, all she could do was blush and stutter, running her fingers through her hair and saying, "Oh, I'm sure that a lot of trainers and their Pokémon feel this way. It's just natural to be able to bond with your Pokémon. And going on a journey with them, I can't help but continue to believe in them. And they in me."

"Wise words, Manon. You've become a fine trainer indeed. Well, just looking at your Pokémon, I can see that you've trained them well and taken good care of them. They look plenty strong to have challenged the Champion, even if you didn't defeat her. But would you mind telling me more about your Ampharos Merrie, she seems to be quite attached to you," said Prof. Platane.

"Merrie? She's actually the third Pokémon I caught. Outside Shalour City is the Baa de Mer Ranch, and that's where I found her. Apparently she was living there with the other Skiddo, but she became attached to me after my visit, so I decided to bring her along. The owners of the farm were surprised to see that because Merrie wasn't usually friendly towards strangers. I wonder why she wanted to come with me." Manon pet Merrie's head and her tail glowed softly at Manon's touch.

"Perhaps she sensed that she could trust you, Manon. A bond that transcends physical limitations…mega evolution…requires that kind of trust," stated Prof. Platane. The professor turned around and grabbed a box that he had on his desk behind him. "Actually, Manon, the real reason I wanted to see your Pokémon was to see whether or not any of them were capable of mega evolution."

"Mega evolution? Me?" Manon asked.

"Of course not you, Manon; your Pokémon mega evolves," said Alan, giving a smirk and remembering how many years ago, Manon would adamantly state that she would mega evolve, even after he had corrected her. Apparently, she still believed in that.

Manon puffed out her cheeks and looked at Alan indignantly. "Of course I know that, Alan! I just can't believe that Hakase believes that my Pokémon and I are capable of mega evolution."

"Are you unsure of yourself, Manon? Is that it?" Prof. Platane asked.

"No, that's not it. I just always thought that mega evolution was for...other people. Maybe it's because I never took the time to find a way for my Pokémon to mega evolve," stated Manon.

"Well, here's the chance for you to become a mega evolution user, as well," the professor said. He opened the lid to the box he was holding and Manon peered in. The florescent light in the lab glinted off the two stones. The larger of the two stones was a pale blue, almost clear stone, with a swirl of red, orange, and yellow. The other one was rainbow-colored, almost pearlescent with how the light shined off of it and had the famous helix pattern that everyone knew mega evolution was associated with. "This is Ampharosite and a key stone. Manon, I want you to have these."

Manon gasped with shock. "You want me to have these, professor? Are you sure?" Manon hesitantly reached for the key stone, taking a better look at it. "Eh? I've seen this before!"

"That's the typical key stone many trainers use to bond with their Pokemon, so there's no doubt you've seen it before," Alan said. "I also have one too, remember?" Alan brought up his left arm and tapped on the key stone embedded in his bangle.

"Well, yes, I know that. But I've seen it really recently! Oh!" Manon cried. She pulled up the necklace from under her shirt, revealing a silver chain with a key stone pendant. She unhooked the necklace and gave it to Prof. Platane to examine. Comparing the key stone on the pendant to the one in the box, all three could tell that the two were identical.

The professor and Alan couldn't believe what they were seeing and glanced at each other. "Manon, you already have a key stone? Where did you get this?" asked the professor.

"So you're saying that it really is real? To be honest, I thought it was just a fake when I bought it yesterday!" Manon explained.

"You bought this yesterday? Where?" asked Alan. He didn't remember seeing Manon with the necklace before-of course, she wore the necklace under her shirt, so he wouldn't have been able to. Then Alan recalled the streetside vendor Manon had been looking at before Hari-san spotted him, and he ran away; perhaps that was where she bought it.

"This woman was selling clothing and jewelry on Vernal Avenue, and I found it there. She was surprised that I would buy this out of all the jewelry she was selling, and she said that I had a 'good eye.' It also came with this bangle," Manon said, shuffling around in her bag before pulling out a blank bangle with a silver pattern. Conveniently, there was a hole, and struck with an idea, Manon took the Ampharosite from the box and placed it into the hole; it fit perfectly. "Wow! It's like this was made for the mega stone!"

"Indeed," agreed the professor. "That's quite convenient. Do you recall what this woman looked like, Manon?"

She placed a hand to her chin, thinking back to the fashionable woman selling her goods. "She was wearing this pair of white sunglasses, but she did take them off. I didn't get a good look at her eyes, but she did have long, dark green hair. That's all I remember."

"Long, dark green hair?" asked the professor. Something flashed in Prof. Platane's eyes, but Manon blinked and she couldn't tell if it was the trick of the light or her imagination. "Well anyways, since you seem to already have a key stone, why not try to mega evolve your Ampharos?"

Manon nodded and called back her other Pokémon to their Pokeballs, leaving Merrie out. She unclasped the bangle and placed it around Merrie's neck, the black band camouflaged nicely with her natural colors.

"Now then, Manon, you know what to do," the professor said, giving her a nod and backing away, giving the two some space.

Manon closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had seen Alan and countless other trainers do this before, but she had never once thought she would be capable of doing it herself. Manon opened her eyes and looked at Merrie. Merrie could feel that something important was going to happen and nodded enthusiastically at her trainer. With a final look of determination, Manon spoke those words:

"Respond to my heart, key stone! Surpass evolution! Mega evolve, Merrie!"

* * *

I am so very thankful for everyone's support! I'm sorry this chapter is so late in coming; I haven't given up on this story! I would like to thank all those who left such kind reviews and to the following for adding this to their favorites and alerts!

-Kleoparda

-ibda7962

-Nathy-Kaze-Neko

-L100Meganium

-and guest(s)!


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